Beau Webster missed out with the bat in round four but was outstanding with the ball, taking a career-best eight wickets
On a day where Australia’s pace stocks suffered a double injury scare, Beau Webster again proved his seamers could be more than handy in the Ashes with career-best match figures in Hobart.
While scans cleared Josh Hazlewood of a right hamstring injury, fellow Test squad member Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the series opener against England with a left hamstring strain after both exited the SCG during Victoria’s second innings on Wednesday.
“He (Hazlewooed) literally bowled his last ball, and I looked at him and said, ‘how are you going?’,” Steve Smith, stand-in NSW and Australia captain for the first Test, told reporters post-match.
“He said ‘a bit tight in my hamstring’ and I was like get off the field, disappear ‘you’re done’.
“Fortunately, it was just some tightness and he’s good to go.
“It’s rough for Sean who’s worked really hard the last few years to get a position in the squad again, but injuries happen, so feeling for him right now.
Big Beau claims eight in best Shield showing
“We’ve got ‘Greeny’ (Cameron Green), who bowled well in their game from what I’ve heard, and (Beau Webster) who took five (wickets) as well, so nice to have the options there if we need to go down that path.”
With Abbott now sidelined, Brendan Doggett is the clear next in line should Australia require pace bowling reinforcements this summer. The in-from South Australian took his second five-wicket haul in as many matches in his side’s win over Tasmania.
Webster (5-50 and 3-73) was also impressive with the ball, finishing with eight wickets for the match but his haul went in vain as Liam Scott (53) and Ben Manenti (49 not out) edged the reigning Sheffield Shield champions over the line by three wickets.
Doggett’s 5-66 on day one went a long way limiting Tasmania’s first innings advantage and he added another in the second innings as he dismissed Tigers’ skipper Jordan Silk for the second time in the match.
Doggett celebrates Ashes squad call up with another big haul
The 31-year-old right-armer now has 48 wickets at 20 in 10 first-class games this calendar year and has declared he’s ready to go at international level should an opportunity present this summer.
“He’s got five five-fors for us in five matches so he’s ready to go,” Manenti said post-match of Doggett’s Test chances.
“I’d love to see him get a crack this summer. If he does, all of us will be behind him and we know he’ll do really well.”
Potential Test debutant in waiting, Jake Weatherald, got set in both innings (23 and 30) before chopping on to Scott twice in near identical fashion, missing a chance to further press him claim for a berth alongside Usman Khawaja in the first Test.
Webster (13 and 8) also couldn’t get going with the bat but had the ball hooping at Bellerive Oval, removing Aussie star Travis Head (9 and 15) twice in his first Shield appearance of the season and Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the second innings.
Carey (59 and 23) looked sharp on a tricky Bellerive surface in his final red-ball tune up ahead of the Ashes, suggesting he hasn’t lost any of his touch from Australia’s Caribbean tour earlier this year where he was the second leading run-scorer in similarly difficult batting conditions.
“He’s been a great operator in Shield cricket with the ball, I think he’s just got better and better every year,” Silk said of Webster’s seamers at stumps on day one.
“The trust I have in him; he’s bowling first change for us, I see him as almost our third best seamer, so he’s got a huge role to play not only for us but hopefully in Australian colours this summer.
“Whatever selection they go with, Beau’s more than ready with the ball.”
Hazlewood and Abbott did not bat in the second innings in Sydney as NSW crashed to a 300-run defeat despite stand-in captain Steve Smith’s second half-century of the match.
Smith contributed almost half of the Blues’ runs in the match, finishing unbeaten on 56 to back up his 57 in the first innings and 118 against Queensland a week earlier to head into the first Test against England in top form.
Scott Boland, injured captain Pat Cummins’ likely replacement for the first Test, accounted for Kurtis Patterson on day three during a tidy spell of 1-24 from 10 overs, while Sam Elliott picked up three second innings wickets to go with his 5-26 in the first.
Former Test batters Marcus Harris (58 in the second innings) and Peter Handscomb (104 in the first innings) both made strong contributions for Victoria, as did young gun Campbell Kellaway who posted a gritty half-century on day one amid a fierce spell of fast bowling by Australian left-armer Mitchell Starc (4-91 and 1-48).
Starc fires with fantastic four-for on Shield return
Victoria have strengthened their position at the top of the Shield standings with their fourth win from four matches this season.
In the west, WA opted to save Cameron Green’s remaining overs for the second innings following his impressive day-one effort of 1-13 from eight overs as Queensland were bowled out for 390 after being sent in.
Matthew Renshaw (101) responded with a century after being overlooked for the first Test squad as Marnus Labuschagne (50), Lachlan Hearne (87) and Xavier Bartlett (50) also raised the bat for the Bulls.
Sheffield Shield 2025-26 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Drawn
D
No results
N/R
Deductions
Ded.
Batting Bonus
Bat
Bowling Bonus
Bowl
Total points
PTS
1
VIC
4
4
0
0
0
0
4.14
3.6
31.74
2
QLD
3
1
0
2
0
0
4.9
2.3
15.2
3
NSW
4
1
2
1
0
0
1.55
3.7
12.25
4
SA
4
1
2
1
0
0
1.3
3.6
11.9
5
TAS
4
1
2
1
0
2
1.72
3.2
9.92
6
WA
3
0
2
1
0
0
0.66
3
4.66
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points
